In practice, that means that the process of
preparing a pet for travel would quadruple.
“If you’re looking to travel, you need to see
your vet at least four months before the date of
travel,” says Daniella Dos Santos from the British
Veterinary Association.
A pet still needs the microchip and the rabies
vaccine, but it also needs a blood test at least
thirty days after the vaccine. If the pet passes
that test, owners need to wait three months
before they can travel, bringing the whole
timeline to at least four months.
Then, Dos Santos says, pet owners need
additional certification to leave the country —
export health certificates — so that’s another
visit to the veterinarian. Pets will also need a new
health certificate for each trip to the EU.
On top of that, pet owners would be able to
travel the EU from only a select few entry points.
Katherine Sofoluke has a passport for her
miniature Dachshund called George, with whom
she recently toured central France.
“Some people probably think it’s ridiculous, but
to us, George is part of the family,” she said.
Travelling with the Dachshund also means
Sofoluke doesn’t have to pay costly kennel fees
or find a dog sitter. But that may be the simpler
option if the Pet Passport scheme is replaced
with a more complex system.
“If it becomes a really arduous task, for kind of a
week or two abroad, it’s not worth it,” she said.
British authorities say they are talking to guide
dog associations to help them prepare, but that
is cold comfort for Kent, who finds the situation
utterly confusing.
“It’s a real dog’s dinner in my opinion, and one
that I don’t think my dog would even want to eat.”
nora
(Nora)
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